Letting Young People of Poundbury Have Their Say

I wonder that money might be going into the wrong projects in Poundbury for Young people.

The have finished the New Youth Shelter, but I dont think its being used Is that really what they want? I dont think so!
If you go down into Dorchester and visit the New Skate Park its packed out!

I dont know how much that shelter cost, but it cant have been cheap Would have been much better spent on a skate park or something similar.

I would like to hear from the cafe owners in the village. Would you be willing to open your doors - say one night a week for a drop-in youth project? If you contact James in Wareham who runs the Salt Pig cafe and deli in the High Street, he will tell you how successful the drop-in cafe has been and the appreciation felt by the young people. It was a multi-agency run project - Youth Service, DYA, the church, the police and town council and was very well received. Contact me on 262440 or info@dortsetyouth.com for more information

Many of today's problems with younger people is lack of outside interests to
stimulate them in a positive manner.

I know there are various oranisations in Dorchester like Guides and Scouts,
Boys Brigade, St John Ambulance etc.
that offer possible outside interests and of course DorchesterYouth Club.

I have a history with Majorettes that go back to the 1980's including time
as a Competition Judge and have been active in recent months in trying to
bring the positive outcomes of being a Majorette to areas of Dorset.

Having to compete with Computer style home based activities and consoles is
an obstacle but I feel that being able to twirl a baton provides a bigger
challenge than controlling a game console with your thumbs.

Silver Diamond Majorettes is being evolved into a Majorette Troupe for West
Dorset to include Dorchester inc. Poundbury, Charminster, Stratton, Martinstown,
Winterbourne Abbas and Piddle Valley areas and can be viewed as a Majorette
Troupe on an individual Community basis as well as area.

This means that when ready the Troupe could put something back into those
areas mentioned by performing at Village Fetes or other Charity/Fund Raising
events.

Dorchester also plays host to various events including the Carnival and as
with the Villages the Troupe can support those causes in the Town.

Being a Majorette enables youngsters to recognise the positive aspect of:
Acting on Instructions - Working as a Team - Learning and Developing
Individual Skills - Having a Sense of Belonging - Putting something back
into the Community and raising Self -Esteem.

This is achieved by the training which teaches youngsters on how to; Twirl a
Baton - Shake a Pom Pom - Perform Dance Routines and Marching. There is also
Leadership opportunities through training to be Mace bearer.

All of this is done by CRB checked volunteers with myself as Troupe Leader
and 2 former Majorettes from the 1980's as Trainers.

We fund through annual/weekly subs and any source of funding made available.

The training is planned to be centralised in Dorchester at The Scout Hut
Sawmills Lane on Saturday Mornings as the logistics of training within the
individual Villages is to difficult to undertake and maintain.